Something that has come up recently that I've been mulling over in my mind ... should we allow fan-based animation?

I don't allow fan-based graphics in the art gallery since they seem to sully the concept of what the art gallery is. But fan-based animation ... hmmm ... it does open up a whole bag of worms as far as what we might allow. On the other hand, it can be considered that the first South Park episode was a fan based work. And how to we separate works from just a single, non-studio based artist from a fan-based work?

So, the question remains ... should we allow fan-based animation?

Your thoughts, please.

I'm also a bit undecided. I do find those "Super Mario" based pixel shorts rather odd entries on the site.

It's a good question. When you say fan-base, do you mean something like "Catching Up" or Piemations or something unofficial where it features a character/property owned by another studio (think Star Wars fan films or those pixel Mario shorts Nickramer mentioned)?

Those aren't specifically what I'm referring to, but they are good examples.

I'm wondering if we should make a policy that fan-based works can only be submitted in retrospect, if the art turns into something more substantial and important.

Under the circumstances eutychus listed, this is technically what the Daicon III and IV Opening Animations are, and they’re historically significant since the animators went on to form Gainax. That’d be a good example of something falling under the “retrospective” criteria.

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That *could* work.

For a bit of clarification, Is the "Catching Up" cartoon, an example of a "fan-base cartoon" because it's an indie animation with a sizeable following attached to it?

Then I wonder if stuff like "Homestar Runner", "Salad Fingers", "Foamy The Squirrel", "Xiao Xiao", Or maybe "Madness Combat" would be in that category?

Also, and excuse my ignorance on the subject, but I thought DAICON III and IV were original works that cameos a multitude of characters from different IPs. Would that be more in the Parody realm? Or do we mean something like an unofficial Fan-Made Episode / Sequel / Spiritual Successor? Where they follow the same kind of structure that the original work has. I think there is a South Park Fan Episode called "Trey Gets Stoned" and also My Little Pony Friendship is Magic brought out the Fan Film: "Double Rainboom" if that's any significance

The only thing I can think for something in retrospect, would be a South Park animator, Amy Winfrey, made the Web Series "Making Fiends" which later became a show on Nickelodeon, but then later after it got cancelled, had a few new episodes released on the Web again. Perhaps there could be a sub category of Web Animated works that also have TV-Shows, but I imagine that there are too few examples.